The expert’s guide to craft beer

Beer fans, listen up! This summer Asda is launching a massive new range of craft beers!

There are some brilliant beers being brewed around the world

Around 50 new and different varieties are hitting our shelves this May from English ales to American beers, refreshing pilsners to hoppy and session IPAs.

And to celebrate the launch of the new range, all craft beer is 4 for £6! So make the most of the sunshine this week and explore the whole range.

"We've scoured up and down the UK looking for the best up and coming breweries and also looked to America, where the craft market is far more mature, to bring the best they can offer to our stores," Ale and Craft Beer Buyer at Asda, Hywel Evans, says.

"From Amercian-style pale ales in cool cans to refreshing experimental brews, such as BrewDog's grapefruit-infused IPA, the lines we've launched are all premium quality and will give customers across England and Wales access to tasty craft beers that they may not usually try."

So it seems like the only trouble you'll have this summer is choosing your favourite one! To help out, we've asked Hywel to suggest some beers which will suit different taste buds.

The easy drinker

Hywel says: "I have always found the easiest beers to drink are lagers and pilsners and luckily, our range will have you covered. We have some brilliant pilsners/lagers in the range such as BrewDog’s Kingpin, Powderkeg’s award winning Cutloose Pilsner and Brewgooder’s Clean Water Lager. Brewgooder, apart from brewing a fantastic lager, donate 100% of their profits to clean water projects around the world. We have extended Brewgoooder to more stores in this range to give more people a chance to get their hands on clean water lager."

For the pale ale drinkers

Hywel says: "I was traditionally an ale drinker but have always looked to taste new and different beers. The craft movement is creating a plethora of different beers it's all about taste discovery.

"If you are ready to step up to some bigger flavour beer styles, a really popular style of craft beer is the IPA. These are packed full of flavour, tend to be higher ABV (alcohol by volume) products and so are not as easy drinking. Five years ago I would never have tried or enjoyed a really hoppy US west-coast IPA… but now I can’t get enough of them! So give them a try!"

Try: BAD Co’s Aura Pale (pale ale)

For the porter and stout drinkers

Black as the night and as smooth as can be this, porter and stout drinkers will be in awe of BrewDog's Jet Black Heart.

Try: BrewDog’s Jet Black Heart (Porter/stout).

For the lager drinkers

Hywel says: "The most popular style of beer is lager and so I would recommend starting with lighter beers with lower ABVs (whether it be a pale ale/IPA/pilsner) as these are traditionally more palatable. Then when you find a style you like you can then start your search for more complex beers which can be more challenging."

Try: PK Cut Loose Pilsner

The best session beers

Hywel says: "An easier drinking spin-off from the IPA is the session IPA. It is a style which still have the big flavour of an IPA but at a lower ABV, making them more sessionable."

The expert's favourites

Hywel says: "I couldn’t pick a favourite amongst so many great quality beers. We have some phenomenal breweries in our range that produce some stunning beers, I am really excited that customers will have the opportunity to shop a much larger range from 24 May. Personally, my favourite style at the moment is a bold, very hop-forward IPA.